Men charged in October shooting face robbery accusations

Incidents happened on same day at complex

Ronta Garner

Two men charged with aggravated battery in an Oct. 30 shooting are now accused in an armed robbery the same night.

Ronta Antonio Garner, 33, and another suspect, Shamarcus Deunte Grimes, 26, both of Lawrenceville, are accused of shooting a 22-year-old man at Ridgecrest Apartments in the 1600 block of Roper Hill Road in Gainesville. The victim was shot in the pelvis and the hand, resulting in "disfigurement and requiring surgery," according to arrest warrants.

Garner and Grimes are now also accused of threatening two women and a toddler with a semi-automatic handgun the same night at an apartment in the same complex. They forced one of the women around the apartment at gunpoint searching for drugs and cash, according to the arrest warrant.

In connection with the shooting, Garner and Grimes face charges of aggravated battery, aggravated assault, possession of a gun by a felon and possession of a gun during the commission of a crime.

Garner now is accused of being a party to the crimes of aggravated assault, false imprisonment, cruelty to child in third degree and armed robbery in the incident involving the women. Warrants for Grimes are not available since they haven’t been served, but Garner was assisting Grimes, according to the warrants for Garner.

Garner also faces numerous traffic charges following the I-985 chase: DUI of alcohol, speeding, fleeing and eluding, no license, no insurance, no tag, failure to maintain lane, ran red light, misdemeanor obstruction, driving with no helmet and reckless driving.

The Gainesville Police Department was not able to provide new information on the case after hours on Thursday.

At the time of the incident, police warned that the two men were armed and dangerous. Grimes is described as being 5 feet 9 inches tall and 175 pounds.